If you measure from any point on the wall above the counter top horizontally 24inches you should reach a receptacle, and not more than 18 or 20 inches high above counter top. I don't remember off hand. Same as a wall space when you measure on any point of the wall space 6' horizontally you should reach a receptacle. So above a counter top where a specific space requires a receptacle depending on dimensions you should have a recep. not farther than 48" apart. There fore you would measure 24" on any point of wall a recep.
If you have a peninsula there are dimensions that require us to,have at least one recep.
And FWIW, in the Handbook we see diagrams showing exactly that measurement for receptacles along wall spaces. But we see a diagram which does not count the measurement along an end wall for countertops.
One objective difference about a countertop is that it extends a finite, fixed and measurable distance from the wall behind it, and the depth of that countertop space is roughly the same as the required maximum distance to a receptacle along the wall. There are good arguments for determining the receptacle situations differently for a countertop than for a wall, as well as evidence that the writers of that NEC section chose to treat the two situations differently.
You can argue all you want about just what the words of the section mean in isolation, in the absence of Handbook and other non-normative references, and there are good arguments for both sides. As to inspectors, we know that there are inspectors in each camp. I do not think that we are likely to reach any consensus here, but it has been a fun discussion so far.